A report by the research firm IDC showed a 44% jump in smartphone sales for the year, with 712 million units sold. That accounted for 45.5% of all mobile phone shipments.

The rest of the mobile phone market was lackluster, suggesting customers were trading in their older handsets for smartphones. The global market for all mobile phones grew just 1.2% to 1.7 billion units, IDC said.

IDC said Samsung (IW 1000/15) extended its dominance of the market in both smartphones and overall mobile phones.

But a big surge came from Chinese manufacturers Huawei and ZTE (IW 1000/327), which broke into the top ranks of smartphone vendors thanks to growth in emerging markets, IDC said.

Huawei grabbed 4.9% of the smartphone market, making it the third largest, and ZTE was in fifth place with 4.3% share, just behind Japan's Sony (IW 1000/39) at 4.5%.

"The fact that Huawei and ZTE now find themselves among the top five smartphone vendors marks a significant shift for the global market," said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.

"Both companies have grown volumes by focusing on the mass market, but in recent quarters they have turned their attention toward higher-end devices. In addition, both companies have pushed the envelope in terms of industrial design with larger displays and smaller form factors, as well as innovative applications and experiences."

Strategy Analytics / ABI Research Reports

Research firm Strategy Analytics said its survey showed global smartphone shipments grew 43% to 700 million units in 2012, with Samsung capturing more than 30% of the market.

The report showed smartphones accounted for close to half of the 1.6 billion mobiles sold in 2012. With all phones combined, the market grew just 2%, according to the report.